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Hey Queen....The recipe on that link is pretty much all carbs which is okay for a snack...however if you want a MEAL here is what I make every morning for breakfast....been making this exact smoothie for 6 years and I never get tired of it....quick to make....and you can take the 2nd glass of it "to go"....Place in blender:2 cups orange juice6 whole frozen strawberries, thawed (I nuke 'em 1 minute on high)1 cup frozen raspberries1 cup quick oats1 bananna2 scoops whey or soy vanilla protein powder (between 20-25g of protein per scoop)Mix it up and enjoy!

This makes a full quart of smoothie so cut it in half if that is too much for you!I buy the large bags of frozen strawberries and raspberries at Gordon Foods and a six pack of OJ at Sams or Costco to save money. I get the protein powderat Sams Club and it tastes great....6 lb bag for $25! A 2 month supply!

Ok, now I have question. Do you have to have cream in the smoothies and if so, what kind of cream? And in most recipes I have seen they say freeze whatever fruit, why? Can I sub yogurt because I don't like it. But thanks for contributing guys, I didn't think it would take off.

When you use frozen fruit, it eliminates the need for ice and prevents you watering down the smoothie.

You might want to try some smoothies with yogurt in them. You can't really taste the yogurt and if you use plain, live culture yogurt, you will be doing your digestive system a big favour. But yes, it can be substituted with milk, juice or whatever your imagination leads you to try - same goes for cream.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

What I've found is ice isn't a big deal - makes it a little crunchy is all. Using frozen fruit I avoid because 99.99% of frozen fruit is loaded with sugars. Adding whole milk yogurt is good but does make it very filling. It makes the taste creamier.

This is a great thread...I'm going to blow the dust off of my blender and put some of these recipes to the test.Breakfast is my most neglected meal. I'm up at 6am and rarely find time to eat before 10am.THANKS.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

This is a great thread...I'm going to blow the dust off of my blender and put some of these recipes to the test.Breakfast is my most neglected meal. I'm up at 6am and rarely find time to eat before 10am.THANKS.

I will too once I go grocery shopping. I think it would be a great idea if anyone tries the recipes to give the rest of us their thoughts. Good idea.

It's less work really, especially when you're making smoothies for breakfast. If you clean the fruit when you get it home and at its freshest, all you have to do is let it drain for a few minutes then pop it into ziplock bags - in portions just right for a smoothie - and all you have to do when you want a smoothie is grab a bag out of the freezer.

It's great for dealing with bananas when they all go nice and ripe at the same time. Slice them up, pop them into bags and freeze - they're ready to go at a moment's notice.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

I don't use frozen anything, cuz it is too cold and I drink the ENTIRE blender... heh heh! But I do like to use at least 2 different fruits (fresh) and some soy yogurt, which makes it thick. I have also used half a thingy of instant sugar free vanilla yogurt for a thickening treat. I also add 50% water to my juice before I add it to the smoothie, to cut the sugar.

One technique is you can use ice cube trays to freeze juice or milk/soy milk if you do the frozen thing.

When in season I love mellon and banana smoothies. Blueberries are great, but you get those little skins on your teeth!

Does anyone add Brewer's yeast? A great source of B vitamins, minerals, enzymes and amino acids.

Sometimes I used a little Stevia to add a little non sugar sweetener as well.

MY RECIPE MAKES 1 QUART/LITER SO IF YOUR BLENDER IS HALF QUART (16OZ OR 500ml) THEN CUT IT IN HALF.....AS YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE NO HARD FAST RULES IN THE WORLD OF SMOOTHIES....IF YOU WANT PROTEIN ADD PROTEIN POWDER, YOGURT, MILK, OR TOFU....YOUR CHOICE. NEED THICKER (WHO DOESN'T WANT THICKER! THEN ADD MORE "STUFF".....THINNER? ADD MORE LIQUID...ETC.

Stonyfield Farms.com manufactures organic dairy...they have a fantastic website with tons of smoothie recipes. You can even submit your own and rate and review their recipes. I love their organic yogurt, creamy and full of live cultures.

Hey Dachshund....Thanks for the heads up on the Stoneyfield website.....just before logging on I enjoyed an apricot/mango stoneyfield yogurt...in my opinion they beat Dannon with fruit on the bottom (why are all fruits on the bottom? ) I buy Stoneyfield at Costco or Whole Foods.....The Costco Connection magazine had a great article about Stoneyfield Farms as a company....I would buy their stuff just because of their environmentally friendly way of doing business....check it out here:

Stonyfield Farms.com manufactures organic dairy...they have a fantastic website with tons of smoothie recipes. You can even submit your own and rate and review their recipes. I love their organic yogurt, creamy and full of live cultures.

That's what gets me with yogurt, live cultures just doesn't sound appealing even though I know they're good for you. I assume when you blend the yogurt in you can't taste the yogurt? If this sounds stupid, please excuse me but this is all new to me.

That's the thing I like about Stoneyfield....their yogurt does not taste like yogurt...does not have that sour taste at all....sometimes the plain yogurt will have that taste but YES when you mix it in with fruit you will never know it is in there.....buy a 6 oz single serving size and try it....nothin ventured....nothin gained!

That's what gets me with yogurt, live cultures just doesn't sound appealing even though I know they're good for you. I assume when you blend the yogurt in you can't taste the yogurt? If this sounds stupid, please excuse me but this is all new to me.

Queen the yogurt is going to put the smooth in your smoothie. You won't be able to taste it and the benefits are such a plus...especially to women. Really helps with calcium absorption. Just a couple of tablespoons of yogurt a day is all you need. I substitute a smoothie for lunch sometimes or drink one for a snack instead of the crap I use to eat. I think you mentioned you are diabetic...remember, some flavored yogurts may contain more sugar than a candy bar. Cheers girlfriend!

fruit smoothies can be quite high in sugar, natural rather than refined, but sugar nonetheless - so for people with diabetes etc, this is worth bearing in mind. Diluting with sparkling water/sugar free lemonade would reduce sugar content.

Ok, I don't know what I did wrong but my smoothie doesn't look too appealing. I got the plain yogurt, strawberries, milk, and walnuts...Mixed it all up and it looks a bit runny, ew. I tasted it, I think I am tasting the yogurt which is turning me off. What did I do wrong? How can I make it thicker w/o tasting the yogurt....And was wondering how much you gotta drink before those buggers start doing wonders for the digestive track, I know mine prolly is very mucky...

WALNUTS?? why walnuts? I am not a walnut fan so I would omit those and try oatmeal.....dry quick oats dumped right in the blender will thicken it up without any flavor...and they add protein / fiber without adding any sugar. Add 1/4 cup and see how that tastes/feels....if still too runny add more until you get what you want. Also how about a bannana?

Ok, I don't know what I did wrong but my smoothie doesn't look too appealing. I got the plain yogurt, strawberries, milk, and walnuts...Mixed it all up and it looks a bit runny, ew. I tasted it, I think I am tasting the yogurt which is turning me off. What did I do wrong? How can I make it thicker w/o tasting the yogurt....And was wondering how much you gotta drink before those buggers start doing wonders for the digestive track, I know mine prolly is very mucky...

I can just picture my little Betty Crocker in the kitchen now.LOL I would leave out the walnuts for the time being and add a sugar free juice you like. I freeze my fruit first before blending...make sure your blender is powerful enough to crush ice. This will thicken it for you...cut back on the yogurt until you acquire a taste for it. I don't like the taste of everything I blend...experiment with it until you do. If you like bananas try this recipe. Put in one cup of orange juice, tablespoon of yogurt, four or five FROZEN strawberries and a banana, blend it baby. Check out Stonyfieldfarms.com for recipes...and keep "hope" alive.

I think when starting out, try to keep it simple; you can get more adventurous with what tastes/textures blend well as you go along. I dont drink milk so I never put milk in smoothies, although I did used to use rice/soya milk sometimes. Also if you're using yoghurt you dont really need the milk anyway. To thicken it up add a banana (unless you're food-combining - some fruits dont go with yoghurt if you're food-combining for digestive problems) You can sweeten it with a bit of apple juice or/and honey. If I were a smoothie-making rookie like you Queen, I would invest in a smoothie making book. Just a suggestion hon...

I can just picture my little Betty Crocker in the kitchen now.LOL I would leave out the walnuts for the time being and add a sugar free juice you like. I freeze my fruit first before blending...make sure your blender is powerful enough to crush ice. This will thicken it for you...cut back on the yogurt until you acquire a taste for it. I don't like the taste of everything I blend...experiment with it until you do. If you like bananas try this recipe. Put in one cup of orange juice, tablespoon of yogurt, four or five FROZEN strawberries and a banana, blend it baby. Check out Stonyfieldfarms.com for recipes...and keep "hope" alive.

A domestic goddess, I am NOT, but I'm trying... I called myself experimenting by putting the walnuts in there, silly me. That's what I get for trying to do too much.. Now Auntie if I put ice in it, won't it make it watery? I was at the grocery store and was looking at the bananas but they were green. I plan on going to the grocery store again over the weekend.

Melia~~ See? I didn't know you didn't need both milk and yogurt. Maybe I will go with the milk for now, I don't drink much milk anyway unless I'm eating cereal. Which is funny to me cause when I was younger, I use to drink ice milk all the time. Is apple juice the only healthy thing to sweeten it with? I know you mentioned honey but I do not like honey. Good idea about the smoothie book, I will definitely look into it. Thanks...

We have something over here in the UK called Innocent Smoothies they are delicious I bought the recipe book they released theres some great ones in there i'll put some ideas I got from it on here at some point. I'm always tempted especially in the summer to just chuck in what ever is in season at the time into the blender and have that because it's normally much cheaper to buy when it's in season. I read once it's better to use a blender than a juicer because the juicer extracts all the pulp which is where the fibre etc is, is that rubbish?

Queen, You wont taste the honey once its mixed in; I believe manuka honey is meant to be one of the most beneficial. I cant think of any other natural sweeteners than honey and apple juice. Maybe I'm being a bit thick...anyone else any ideas?

Btw, I've seen a few of you mention ice. Since moving to Greece I've actually been advised against drinking anything very hot or very cold by almost every Greek I've met, especially doctors. Its not meant to be at all good for your throat. I have heard that before moving to Greece; I think my old nutritionist advised me once. So I tend to avoid ice in any drinks, always try to drink water at room temperature and try not to juice/blend anything straight from the fridge.

Chris, its true that juicers do extract the pulp which does indeed contain the fibre; however it is an important process in juicing as many of the nutrients in fruit and veg are actually trapped in the fibre, so the only way of assimilating the maximum nutrients is by removing the fibre. There are some new juicers on the market that include the pulp in your juice. I guess it depends whether you like your juices smooth or with bits. Also, juicing is not meant to replace the actual eating of fruit and veg; its meant to complement it.

However, saying all that, you wouldnt use a juicer to make a smoothie; smoothies and juices are not the same thing, though they can be mixed.

I like this thread!

Melia

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The difference between cats and dogs is that dogs come when called, whereas cats take a message and get back to you.

A domestic goddess, I am NOT, but I'm trying... I called myself experimenting by putting the walnuts in there, silly me. That's what I get for trying to do too much.. Now Auntie if I put ice in it, won't it make it watery? I was at the grocery store and was looking at the bananas but they were green. I plan on going to the grocery store again over the weekend.

Melia~~ See? I didn't know you didn't need both milk and yogurt. Maybe I will go with the milk for now, I don't drink much milk anyway unless I'm eating cereal. Which is funny to me cause when I was younger, I use to drink ice milk all the time. Is apple juice the only healthy thing to sweeten it with? I know you mentioned honey but I do not like honey. Good idea about the smoothie book, I will definitely look into it. Thanks...

Queen, Queen, Queen, what am I going to do with you? It is okay to buy green bananas, leave them out on the counter and presto-change-o, you will have nice, ripe yellow 'nanas. I don't add ice, I add frozen fruit to my smoothies...believe you me it will not make them runny. You can find a huge selection of no sugar added frozen fruit in the freezer section of the grocery. I buy what is on sale and keep it handy in my freezer. Since you are on a limited budget research the internet for recipes...try Stonyfieldfarms.com for one. Now if all that doesn't work try making this smoothie in your blender...tequila, ice, margarita mix...blend, serve and drink. This smoothie is guaranteed to make you forget all about your problems...until the next morning!

My bf (or whatever he is) is a smoothie junkie. I like them as well and should have one more often as I don't eat a lot of fruit. What do you like? What kind of juices and fruit do you favor? Think about it. I like strawberry, banana, apple and/or pineapple juice in mine. You can even add certain supplements I think. Personally, I don't like a super thick smoothie. I have a smoothie recipe book and I could give you recipes depending on what you like.

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Diagnosed July 28th 2003

'I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I just lived the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well.' -Diande Ackerman

'Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?' -Frank Scully

My brother is a type 1 diabetic. I should know more about it but I don't know that much at all. I think that when he is feeling "low" he eats some sort of sugar. Anyway, here is a recipe with watermelon. It's called the hangover helper.

I want to get in on this smoothie action, but my problem is that the food I eat is simple. My culinary skills are directly proportionate to the number of dishes I have to wash.

Can anyone point me in the direction of a good blender that's easy to clean???

-joseph

I swear by my Osterizer Classic Two-Speed. This bad boy is all metal with a powerful motor...I think it is called the beehive because of its design. Purchased mine at Target for under $50. Don't waste your time on any cheap plastic model...they just don't do the job, and will end up in your next yard sale. Clean up is a breeze...rinse, drop of washing liquid blended with water...rinse and you're through. Make sure any blender you get is dishwasher safe and can crush ice...when you tire of smoothies you will want a margarita. Ole!!!

I swear by my Osterizer Classic Two-Speed. This bad boy is all metal with a powerful motor...I think it is called the beehive because of its design. Purchased mine at Target for under $50. Don't waste your time on any cheap plastic model...they just don't do the job, and will end up in your next yard sale. Clean up is a breeze...rinse, drop of washing liquid blended with water...rinse and you're through. Make sure any blender you get is dishwasher safe and can crush ice...when you tire of smoothies you will want a margarita. Ole!!!

That appears to be some sound advice, but I was looking at personal hand blenders. Anyone have any experience with them??

the appear to be exceptionally easy to clean. And somewhat cheap. (I can stretch a mean buck!)

Hey Joseph...I have not used one of the hand held blenders but I tend to be a multi-tasker so I like flipping the switch on my blender and a minute later...voila'....instant smoothie! My instinct is that with a hand-held type it might be difficult breaking down solid ingredients such as semi-frozen fruit. The counter type blenders can be found at the big box stores now for $19.95 on sale....Nothin worse then buying a gadget only to find that it does not give you the results you want. Good Luck!